There is a restaurant in East County called Sahara that I have had the good fortune to eat at. Chaldeans operate it, and the menu contains the usual middle eastern suspects. The night I was there, they were actually closed for a wedding feast, but since we were early, they let us have some of the dishes. The rice was very nice and fragrant, showing an Iranian influence perhaps. Dolmas the best I've ever had. Schwarma very good also. Supposedly there has been an ownership change in the last couple of years, and my friends from that part of the country warn that one should always call first because the place serves almost as a community center for the local Chaldeans, so it is often closed for parties etc. Certainly worth trying.

My roommate for the past year is Iraqi and the only place her and her family would consistantly go is Ali Baba's I believe it's on El Cajon Blvd and I must say they have the best Tabulej (sp?) and fantastic chai, also their Arabic bread is great, made fresh and still warm!! mmmm